England

England

part of the old medieval wall with a gate that surrounded the city in Southhampton England.

We were in England for only 4 days which was not enough time, we all wanted to stay longer. The first day we spent in South Hampton, where the ship was docked.  We walked off the ship and there was a mall after walking for 15 minutes.  Next to the mall was the old town, and parts of the medieval wall that surrounded the city during the middle ages.  It was an interesting contrast to have a modern mall and then old stone walls from the middle ages intermingled together.

The next two days we spent in London.  The first day Rachael and Riley went with their Dad to explore all the famous parts of London, while Mom went to a museum.  The girls explored Westminster, and Big Ben, and rode the London Eye, and found great parks, and saw all the famous things they knew from movies and stories. At dinner we celebrated Rachael's 9th birthday with an Italian dinner, our hotel was in the Italian district of London, so everyone loved it.

On the second day  in London the girls mostly did a repeat of the first day to show Mom all that she missed while at the museum.  They also went to St James Park and spent an entire morning watching all the animals and enjoying some green grass to play on.  They also had cameras and did a scavenger hunt to find all the things that were different in London than at home.  They found lots of things to take pictures of.

On the last day in England we went back to the ship in Southhampton and we went back to the mall and got Rachael a birthday present at the Build a Bear store in the mall.  She had seen these stores at home and always wanted to go in and get her own.  So she got her first build a bear experience in England.  She chose a black and white dog to build and named her Ginger, and Ginger also has a baby puppy that she carries in her mouth.  That was Rachael's (and Riley) favorite experience of being in England.

a rare moment of walking to together holding hands!

the lake at St. James park, with the London eye in the background

watching a swan in the lake

the Diana princess of wales memorial walk. We were one of her favorite parts of the city.

Rachael admiring a one legged goose at the park in London

we walked over to see Big Ben

getting ready to go up on the London Eye.

we took the underground to famous Westminster

The British museum where mommny spent the day while the girls explored London with Daddy.

The girls are walking down the steps into the crowds to go ride the London Eye.  

A view from up high on the London Eye ferris wheel with daddy.

The ride on the London Eye Ferris wheel took a really long time...Rachael was ready for it to be over.

the playground under the London Eye was hours of fun! Just a bunch of logs...the simplest things can be the best!

Rachael chose Italian for her birthday dinner in London.

The girls looking down from our hotel window.

Back on the ship after London, and all the tired girls are back together in the cabin as the ship pulls out of England.

surprise birthday cake greeted us at the ship when we returned from London.